Dragons

Ask any Jokerian anywhere in the galaxy who the undisputed "ruler" of the planet Both is and you will get the same answer every time; the dragons. Exactly when the dragons appeared on the scene is unknown. Certainly there are rumors and legends, but the facts remain shrouded in the mists of time. To the residents of the planet Both from which the five dragons hail, they’ve simply always been there.

While the general populace may take the presence of the creatures matter-of-factly, the scientific community is less inclined to accept their presence without asking a lot of questions. Where do they come from? How did they get here? Why are there only five of them? What makes them so different from other creatures found throughout the galaxy? And while many questions go unanswered, some scientific geniuses have begun to provide some answers to the plethora of questions regarding these incredible beings.

First and foremost is that of species classification. For the most part, they simply can’t be placed in a species or genus with any other known creature. They have traits that can be called mammalian, but they are not mammals. They have wings, but are not birds. Their wings fold like those of a beetle, but they are not insects. Neither are they reptilian, despite the presence of scales. Dragons simply defy all aspects of traditional classification, thus they have been placed in a class all their own; Draco dracontium singularis ad infinitum (a dragon and nothing else).

Physically speaking, dragons are quite imposing. The smallest of them measures 58 meters in length while the largest reaches 90 meters. They are two-legged, walking about on a pair of large legs like those of a dinosaur. Their arms are shortened, making walking on 4 limbs difficult. However its 6 fingered hands are ideal for advanced manipulation.

All five dragons sport a magnificent pair of wing which are often wider than the body is long. All dragons can fly, but not utilizing an ornithoptor motion commonly seen in most birds. The dragon’s wings are quite stiff and stationary (for the most part). Found beneath the main wing are a series of "accelerator wings" which move and flap at a very rapid speed, creating a jet-like wash of air that flows beneath the main wings. This allows the dragon to maintain speeds of up to 900 kph and bursts of speed reaching upwards of Mach 1.3 (or 1600 kph!). When not in flight, the wings fold up alongside the body in two stages like those of a beetle. The vertical rear wing acts as a stabilizer along with their extraordinarily long tails, which possibly accounts for their peerless agility while airborne.

Another feature that differentiates dragons from the rest of Joker’s wildlife is that dragons don’t actually mature properly. They develop from a "nymph" (a young dragonling) with little intellect into a majestic being of supreme power and grace. Such a transformation goes far beyond the typical maturation-cycle that most species experience and can only be explained by individual evolution. Essentially the dragon evolves from a nymph, to a completely different creature over the course of a millennia or so.

There are five different types of dragons known to exist:

Feather Dragon: Also known as the Gold Dragon due to its shiny skin and fine golden body covering. The Gold Dragon resides in the polar regions of Both and is the smallest dragon measuring in a 58 meters in length. Parts of the Feather Dragon are often worth a fortune. Feathers are worth 300f each, down goes for 800f, strands of hair for 3,000f and a large wing scale for about 1 million feathers a piece!

Jet Dragon: Also known as the Black Dragon (for its jet black appearance) and the Space Dragon (probably because it sounds cool), this dragon measures around 61 meters in length. It makes its home under the sea off the south coast of the continent of Gnann.

Thunder Dragon: Also known as the Blue Dragon because its horn admits a lightning blast. This dragon measures 72 meters in length and has sapphire blue feathers. Sporting the largest wingspan of all the dragons, it is a prolific flyer. The Thunder Dragon makes it home mostly in the Kastenpo region of Both.

Earth Dragon: Also known as the Green Dragon and Jade Dragon because of its amber and jade coloring. It is 63 meters in length and can be found in the east portion of the Gnann continent. It seldom appears in populated regions.

LED Dragon: Also known as the King of Dragons, the LED Dragon roams over all of Kastenpo as if it were patrolling its domain. The LED Dragon is easily recognized from the other types by his large horns. The single forward-facing horn being capable of shooting plasma blasts more powerful than a Buster Launcher.

Dragons are far and away the most powerful creatures to be found within the Joker galaxy. Only the LED Mirage (and various supreme deities) is more powerful. Legends state that somewhere in antiquity, the dragons were brought to the world of Both to fight off a powerful race of demonic creatures known as the SATAN. In one version of this myth, these SATAN attack the planet, showing the population no mercy, but the daughter of the king sacrifices her life to help her people and thus, her final wish is granted by a mysterious and powerful entity who answered the princess’ prayers by bringing the dragons to Both to route the evil creatures. The dragons then stay on Both to protect the galaxy from further incursions by these beings.

The full extent to the powers and abilities of the dragons is unknown, but their most impressive ability is that of an elemental blaster of unimaginable power. Through some unknown force (possibly similar to diver ability, but this is unproven) a dragon can generate astronomical amounts of energy and deliver this force via a blast of massive proportions. The blast typically emanates from their "unicorn" (the horn that protrudes from the center of their head) and is theorized to be as powerful (more so in the case of the LED Dragon) as a full Buster cannon shot. It also seems as if dragons are capable of manipulating diver power as the dragons display telepathic abilities as well.

Despite being the most powerful beings in the galaxy, dragons are not immortal. Spiritually, they are immortal, but physically speaking, their bodies wear out after a few millennia and eventually the dragon must "die," A new dragon is reborn from the ashes of the old. The spirit of the old dragon is transferred into the new dragonling (called a nymph) where the dragon’s memory and data are processed and absorbed. This process takes a few centuries, during which the dragon nymph must make its own way in the world without benefit of its draconic majesty and powers.

Dragon nymphs are essentially helpless on their own, oftentimes seeking out the assistance of other creatures (especially human beings) while it waits to transition into its final form. Anyone who helps the dragon nymph during this period may unknowingly befriend one of the most powerful creatures in existence. These bonds of friendships can last even unto a dragon’s adult life.